


Spiderling

by Dinosaur_Hiding_In_The_Closet



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Caregiver!Tony, Diapers, Guilt, It'd be okay if they just talked, Litte!Peter, Misunderstandings, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifiers, Platonic Relationships, they don't talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-03-20 23:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13728168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinosaur_Hiding_In_The_Closet/pseuds/Dinosaur_Hiding_In_The_Closet
Summary: Peter Parker has gone through a lot in his short life so far. He's almost died more times than he can count on one hand. He's not coping well. Until he is. Then of course Tony can't keep his nose out of others business.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eccentric_Calico](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Calico/gifts), [PinkPowerRanger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPowerRanger/gifts).



The weight of the entire building upon his back crushed him to the ground. His chest barely had room to expand. Even so, the bits of concrete in the air filled his mouth making it feel gritty. Every breath took all his energy to make. “Help! Someone help! Please!” 

The concrete wouldn’t yield no matter how hard he pushed. Super strength or no. “Please. Someone help!” He begged. The tears came fast and heavy down his cheeks. Peter became desperate. Frantically pushing against the ton of concrete on his back as if, by some miracle, it would move. He wished for Mr. Stark to show up. To save him. Hell, he’d take the lecture it’d get him. He’d even take being suspended from the suit even longer. If only it’d save him from being crushed. 

Soon enough, his breathing grew quicker as the air around him grew heavier. He was using up all the oxygen which didn’t help as he struggled to keep enough room between him and the ground to breath. 

Suddenly, the thought hit him like a freight train. He was going to die here. Peter felt his heart sink at the idea. Nobody knew where he was. There wasn’t even a tracker in the suit to tell Mr. Stark where he was. Aunt May certainly didn’t know. Peter sobbed. She’d go in to wake him up the next morning and would panic when she wouldn’t find him. She’d fill out a missing person report with the police who’d swear they’d look for him. They’d chalk him up as a simple run away a week after. She’d worry herself to the grave wondering what could have happened to him. 

Another sob wracked his body and made his body shake. It felt like another ton of weight was added to his load and Peter simply couldn’t hold the concrete anymore. “Please! Help! Aunt May! Ned! Mr. Stark! Anybody! I don’t want to die!” He called out in a last ditch effort to maybe get someone’s attention. 

Peter coughed several time which disturbed the dust around him. The dust stung his eyes causing him to want to rub them. He couldn’t though. His arms were busy holding up the rubble. Even so, they shook with the effort. Slowly, oh so slowly, he felt himself sinking. Peter’s breaths were forced to be shorter and shorter as the space closed around him. “No! No! No! Please! I’m sorry!” 

The space got smaller. There was no hope now. He would die before they’d dig him out even if they were there to hear his pleas. “Ahhh!” He screamed one last time as he tried to force the slab off his back. All he succeeded in doing was losing more air and more room. He could barely pant now. Each breath hurt his rib cage. Was this what it was like to be constricted by a snake? 

Peter tried to hold his breath to keep from losing so much space. Even another second could keep him alive long enough for rescue to come. They had to have heard the building collapse! Still, the work he was doing to hold up the building was doing him in. He simply couldn’t hold up the building and the rubble! 

His next breath caused his ribs to burn. He couldn’t even breathe in anymore. There was no room. It was only a matter of time now. 

Each second that passed made the pain grow in his chest. He couldn’t do it anymore. Any second his ribs would crack and he’d suffocate. It was unbearable now. With his final breath he gasped out, “Please…” in a weak whisper. Finally his arms gave out. He couldn’t fight anymore. All he could do was give himself over to the darkness clouding his vision. It’d be over so quick. 

 

Just then, Peter darted up in his bed. A cry broke free from his lips as he fought to bring a deep breath into his lungs. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tore the blankets off. It was too hot. Not enough air. 

His door burst open as Aunt May came in wielding a bat. She looked for an invisible intruder to enact her wrath. Her eyes locked on her nephew and she dropped the bat in her rush to make sure he was okay. “Peter what’s wrong?! What happened? Are you okay?!”

Peter didn’t know he was crying until the sobs filled the room. 

“Oh Petey…” Aunt May said gently. She seemed to understand what had happened as she sat on the bed next to him. 

It was then Peter realized his pajama pants were wet from something more than sweat. Oh god. He wet the bed. “I-I’m sorry!” He sobbed. 

“Shh, it’s okay.” She pulled him into a one armed hug as she tried to soothe him. 

“Noooo!” He couldn’t help but say. This was just too much. 

“Yes, Petey. It’s okay. It’s okay. It happens with kids your age. We can fix this…”

“H-How?!”

Aunt May was quiet as she tried to think of how she could help her nephew though what she could tell was a rough time. “Go get cleaned up, Petey. I’ll clean up here.”

“I-I can do it..-”

“No. It’s fine, Petey. I got it. Go. Take a shower. I’m calling you in tomorrow.”

Peter didn’t fight her too hard as he headed for the door. As long as he didn’t have to look at her pitying look anymore. 

When he came back into his room, his bedsheets were changed and his aunt was nowhere to be found. He considered himself lucky and crawled under the sheets without a second thought. There was no way he was staying home tomorrow with two exams and a final project due. No way. So, he tried to fall asleep as fast as possible.

 

The next night...it happened again. He was able to keep himself from crying out and waking Aunt May, which was great, but he still had to deal with wet sheets.

It happened again the next night. 

And the one after that. 

After a week of continuous accidents, Peter decided it had to stop somehow. 

The second he walked through the door after school, he sat down at his desk with his laptop open and typed in, “Teen bedwetting solution.” Immediately he got thousands of results and just settled for the first link. It took him to a mother’s blog and he spent a few minutes reading through her posts. Most of them were recipes for gluten free cookies and cupcakes but there was a single post about her 16 year old boy wetting the bed every night. 

“I’ve tried everything! The alarms! The pills! Even hypnosis! Jacob still wets the bed every night! Finally I just got tired of all the wet sheets and bought a package of those Goodnites! He hates them, says they’re for babies and toddlers, but I told him i’d start hanging his sheets out on a clothesline so everyone can see how often he needs them changed. I haven’t heard any complaints since. He’s been getting more sleep since then as well! Honestly, I recommend them for any struggling parent. They’re affordable as well!”

Wow...While Peter was sure Aunt May wouldn’t do anything quite so extreme as hand his clothes out on a line, he also didn’t want her to have to deal with the added laundry…

Clicking on the next link, Peter found an...interesting blog to say the least. 

The icon was a picture of what looked like a boy Peter’s age with a bright red pacifier in his mouth. Scrolling down, he saw a post that looked like a Q&A. 

“Why do you wear Goodnites?” The question said.  
“Well, I have major bed wetting problems. Not a night goes by that I don’t wake up to a wet bed. Well, not anymore. Now I wear the Goodnites and it helps with the mess. Being a little helps. Plus, I look adorable in them!”

Peter was instantly confused. Little? What even was that?

Scrolling down again brought him to yet another question. 

“Why do you regress?”  
“My childhood wasn’t very pleasant. I had unbelievable nightmares. The regressing helps to deal with it. And it keeps me from having to take a mountain of pills for anxiety and stuff. I don’t need them when I regress.”

Pretty soon, Peter read the entire blog. He understood littles, caregivers, and everything of the sort. But it seemed a little...unusual. He found himself opening a chat with the owner of the blog and tying out a message. 

“I don’t mean to disturb you, but I had some questions about the ‘little lifestyle’...” He sent the message before he could stop himself. 

The owner of the blog, Tobias as the header said, replies a minute after. “Oh? Are you new to it?”

“Um...Not really?”

“...That seemed a little unsure…”

“I’m sorry. I just found out about it today and I honestly don’t know what to think.”

“Do you think it’s gross? Or Disgusting?” 

“Not really...I don’t know.”

“How did you find my blog?”

Peter sighed. Honestly, the owner had the same problem as him so it didn’t seem like such a hard choice as whether or not to tell him. “I was looking up solutions for bedwetting…”

“Ahh. You too huh?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, I use Goodnites and they do the trick! No leaks or anything. Affordable too!”

“So I’ve heard…”

“But you didn’t message me to ask about that did you? You wanted to know about the little lifestyle.”

Peter nodded then jerked towards the keyboard when he realized Tobias couldn’t see him. “Yes...Does it really help? With the nightmares and stuff?”

“Of course! Do you have them? Did you go through a traumatic experience as well?”

“I almost died recently…”

“Oh no! I’m glad you’re okay now though! How did it happen if you don’t mind me asking…”

Peter realized he couldn’t tell Tobias about the building collapsing on him. But he didn’t really have a shortage of ways he had almost died…

“I almost drowned.”

“Yikes! That’s gotta be tough. Anyway, the regression does help. It takes your mind off it and helps you relax.”

Peter then found himself asking Tobias question after question about regression. The other boy was very patient and answered every one. With every answer, he found himself understanding more and more. With the understanding came curiosity. It seemed like an okay thing...innocent. Not nearly as confusing as it seemed at first. Perhaps...perhaps Peter could try it…

“How would I...do it?”

“Regress?”

“Yeah.”

“I think you should start easy at first. Do you have a stuffed toy? Or a soft blanket?”

“I have a toy Yoda. It’s soft. I got it from a friend.”

“That’s cute. Try that.”

Peter’s forehead creased in confusion. Looking off to the side he saw the Yoda resing on the corner of his desk. It’s stitched eyes stared back at him. “What do I do?” He typed. 

“Just hold it! Wrap your arms around it and hold it tight.” 

“That’s it?”

“Yup! Try it!”

Peter grabbed the Yoda without thinking. Seemed easy enough. Slowly, his arms wrapped around the plush as if it would come alive and bite him at any second. Holding it against his chest, he felt it’s soft fuzz rubbing against his chest. 

Tobias didn’t wait for a response. “Are you holding it? Try rubbing your cheek against it.”

Doing as told, Peter let his cheek brush against the fabric. It was pleasant. Comforting sort of…

“I like it…” He typed with one hand. 

“Great! Just try that for tonight!” 

He did. That night, he crawled into bed with the Yoda toy tucked under one arm. It felt awkward at first. His arms couldn’t quite find the right position. Finally, he settled for using one arm to hold the toy while the other tucked under his pillow. It was the most comfortable and Peter was able to hold the Yoda against his chin. 

He was out like a light only a few minutes later. 

Peter was only slightly disappointed when he woke up to a wet bed. He didn’t expect it to automatically fix the issue, but perhaps he was on to something. He hadn’t had a nightmare at all. He told Tobias the same thing which made the other boy send him at least a dozen clapping gifs. 

“Awesome! Not about the bedwetting thing, but about the nightmare thing! Are you going to try Goodnites?”

Peter said he didn’t know, but he was already picking out the best store and time to get them. There was a drugstore right across the street from his school that he never went to. He prefered to go to the one near his apartment seeing as how he didn’t want to carry everything so far. But if he got the Goodnites there right after school, he could put them in his backpack and go straight home. The clerk wouldn’t know him at all. He’d never have to them again...It was perfect. 

He had to fight his racing heart as he walked into the shop that afternoon. When he got to the diaper aisle (His heart sped up at the thought) he had to force himself not to run to the section he needed. Peter didn’t know what he expected to find, but the shelf looked like just any other. There were three sections with various sizes and styles. On the left was a bright pink package with some disney princess on it. Big no. In the middle was a pack with a camouflage design. Eh...maybe. On the far right, Peter felt a blush rise to his face as he saw a cartoon Iron Man posing on the front. What would Mr. Stark think about this? 

Pushing the idea out of his mind, he grabbed a package and walked to the front. The clerk didn’t even look at him as he scanned them and put them in a bag. Peter payed quickly and walked out with his head down. His heart pounded as he walked into the alley next to the store. Peter stuffed the bag into his backpack and headed home as normally as he could. 

He sighed as he slumped in his chair at home. He never wanted to go through that again. There wasn’t even anyone else in the store at the time and he felt like there were hundreds of eyes on him. 

Still Tobias seemed proud of him…

 

Peter fell down a rabbit hole after that. He couldn’t just stop after the Goodnites. Sure, he used them for his bedwetting, but he knew he wanted more. 

A few days after he bought the Goodnites, he bought a dark blue pacifier. Then he saw an Avengers action figure pack he just couldn’t live without. Tobias loved hearing about each step forward Peter made. The other boy even made a few posts about how he loved helping his new little friend find his way. Peter even wondered if he should make his own little blog…

 

His whole world screeched to a halt when he walked into his room to see Mr. Stark sitting at his desk twirling the blue pacifier by the ring on his finger. 

“Hey there, Spider-ling.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter came a day late! I forgot to post it yesterday!

Peter stood in the doorway of his room and let his bag drop the floor. “W-What-”

“Shh...Shut the door before Aunt May comes poking around.” Mr. Stark said calmly. The pacifier still on his finger. 

The teen did as he was told immediately and locked the door just in case. He then stood in front of the door with his back pressed against it. This caused Mr. Stark to roll his eyes. “Come on kid, make yourself at home. I won’t bite your head off.”

He moved mechanically to sit on his bed. Peter was rigid in his seat as his eyes locked on the blue pacifier. Mr. Stark followed his line of sight and tossed the pacifier at Peter. Of course, the teen caught it easily and tucked it under his pillow where it was before Mr. Stark grabbed it. Peter felt slightly violated as he thought about Mr. Stark snooping through his room. Hopefully, he hadn’t looked through his sock drawer and found the half full package of Iron Man Goodnites. God how embarrassing would that be?

“What are you…” Peter cleared his throat as his voice cracked. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking in. Catch any bad guys lately?” 

Peter didn’t respond as he gave Mr. Stark a suspicious look. 

“Wow,” Tony sighed. “I can’t just check in?”

The look persisted. 

“Fine. I was worried. You haven’t called in months. I would have thought you’d at least leave a voicemail.” Mr. Stark said slowly spinning in the swivel chair. 

“Like you’d actually pick up the phone,” Peter scoffed before he could stop himself. Oooooh no. He didn’t mean to say that. “I-I’m sorry I didn-”

“No it’s fine.” Mr. Stark said sharply. “You’re right. I messed up.”

“No you-”

“Kid. Let me speak. I need to get this off my chest.”

That immediately shut the young boy up. 

“I didn’t answer the phone. I ignored you. I left you to beat up Birdman on your own. I didn’t listen. Won’t happen again.” 

Peter figured that was as close to an “I’m sorry.” as he was ever going to get so he nodded. “Okay...It’s fine.” 

The two sat in awkward silence for a while. Peter thought the older man had forgotten about the pacifier, but his luck was never that good. 

“So, Underoos. What’s with the pacifier?” He asked leaning forward in his seat. 

Crap…Maybe he could play it off…

“What pacifier?”

“The one under your pillow. At this very moment.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Then move the pillow.”

Double crap…

“That’s my business…”

“Never said it wasn’t. I asked why you have it.”

“...Reasons.”

“Really, Kid. We can talk in circles or you could just tell me what’s going on.”

Peter sighed. Tony was right. Of course he was. There was no way around it. “I use it to relax.”

“That’s it?” Tony asked. “I figured it was a drug thing.”

“A drug thing?!” 

“Mhm. But you just use it to relax. Which is fine by the way. You know there’s people who use pacifiers for a whole lot of things. Drugs, babies obviously, regression-”

“Oh really? Huh interesting!” Peter said too quickly. 

Tony gave him a calculating look as he wheeled the chair over to the bed. “You use it for regression don’t you?”

“W-What?! No! I don’t even know what that is!” Peter waved his arm dismissively. He hoped he was convincing, but seeing the way Mr. Stark was looking at him, he could tell he wasn’t. Still, maybe he’d just let it go. 

Mr. Stark looked at him silently for a minute. “You’re obviously lying, kid...So let me just tell you what I think.”

He held up a hand when Peter went to deny it. “Let me finish.”

Peter closed his mouth immediately. It was the least he could do. He only hoped Mr. Stark wouldn’t take his suit back for it. 

“I would assume you use the regression for some sort of emotional release. Which is fine. I wouldn’t want it to interfere with your Avenger duties though. But I’m sure you know that. You can’t help save people if you’re little.” Tony said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. 

Peter, however, heard it differently. The way he heard it was, “You can’t help save people if you’re a little.” Which made his heart drop immediately. He had hoped by the way Mr. Stark brought it up that he would be okay with Peter regressing. Or at least understand. Apparently not. And now he was saying he couldn’t be an Avenger and a little…

“Of course if you think you can’t handle it, I would gladly help...you know...in some way.” 

“How so?” The words left Peter’s mouth before he could stop them. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t know what Mr. Stark was saying anymore.

“Well this can’t get out at all. This needs to stay between us. I can make sure that it does.” Tony said as easily as breathing. 

Oh great. Not only did Mr. Stark not want him to be an Avenger if he were a little, but he’s ashamed of Peter. Why else would he be so against the idea?

“No, Mr. Stark. I can manage. I’ll keep this quiet. I promise.” Peter’s words were shaky at best. 

The silence that followed was awkward and tense. Neither knew how to break it. Peter was looking everywhere else but at Tony. Said billionaire was trying to catch the webslinger’s eyes to try to gauge his emotions but his efforts were futile. He stood instead and headed for the door. “Fine. But, you know, the offer still stands.” He was gone before Peter could get another word in. 

Triple crap…

Peter caught himself as he went to tell Tobias what had happened. What would he say? His boss that wasn’t actually his boss just caught him with a pacifier and basically threatened his job if he didn’t stop? And didn’t Peter just tell Mr. Stark that he wouldn’t tell anyone? The teen groaned. What was he going to do now?

He flopped back on his bed and pulled the pacifier from under his pillow. It seemed to mock him by its very existence. Before he knew it, he had the rubber nipple pressed against his lips. It worked so well to keep the nightmares away. No. He couldn’t. 

With a sigh, he tossed it across the room. Hearing it make a dull tap as it hit the wall, Peter felt tears well in his eyes. No. He needed to stay strong. It didn’t matter what he thought though. The tears fell anyway. He tried to be as quiet as possible so he didn’t worry Aunt May. It was a futile effort. 

 

Peter felt like it was easy at first. I wasn’t like he had gotten so used to regressing that it felt like something was missing. It was more like an itch that progressively got worse. He had to keep wearing the Goodnites seeing as how he didn’t want to damage his grades due to lack of sleep. However, Yoda was returned to his desk and his- the pacifier wasn’t recover from where he assumed it fell behind the dresser. And finally, his Avengers toys were put back into their box and shoved far far under his bed. 

He was able to comfort himself with the thought of of his little things being near him for a few days, but the itch kept growing and growing. He couldn’t help but long for his pacifier and his Yoda every night. They were so close. He could just cuddle Yoda for a little bit...just a little...it wouldn’t hurt anyone…

The thought was shoved violently out of his mind. He’d be disappointing Mr. Stark. He couldn’t even do it in secret…

Every night after that he woke up crying. He had to shove his face into his pillow to keep the noise down, but he managed. Managing seemed to be all he was doing. Ned even started picking up on it. But he couldn't tell him. All he could do was assure him that it wasn’t superhero stuff. 

That was the same day that he had his first panic attack. 

Peter was in the middle of biology when it happened. He had finished the assignment earlier in the week and really had nothing more to do. So he was sitting with his head rested on his arms. It was a nice set up really. He was able to look outside and enjoy some relaxation until his next class. But then he started thinking about Mr. Stark. Would he be disappointed that Peter couldn’t handle being an Avenger without regressing? He probably would. Peter couldn’t even keep his bed dry. How was he supposed to protect anyone?

Just like that, the thoughts kept flowing. What if Mr. Stark found his little things again and kicked him out of the Avengers? What if he took the suit away again? Peter couldn’t save the city after that. He couldn’t even save himself. 

Just the thought of being trapped under tons of concrete again made his chest tighten. The heavy air filling his lungs and burning his eyes. Each breath being forced out of his lungs until he suffocated…

He raised his hand and was grateful when the teacher walked over almost immediately. 

“B-Bathroom?” he asked weakly. 

She nodded and headed back over to another student asking for help without a second thought. Peter was out of his seat and through the door in the next second. He hadn’t even bothered to grab his bag before he left. He didn’t think about it though. Ned would grab it for him. For now, he tried to make it to the bathroom before he passed out. 

He could see the bathroom sign ahead of him. It was practically emitting a heavenly glow. But the feeling in his chest tightened again and he had to duck into the nearest open door. It was the janitor’s closet but he didn’t care. 

The thought of turning the light on also escaped Peter’s mind as he collapsed on the floor. 

The next hour passed by in a blur as Peter’s mind fogged over. He tried to slow his breath down, but it was as if he was feeling the full weight of the building and more on his shoulder. Mr. Stark’s disappointment weighed him down even further. 

It was only when the janitor opened the door and flooded the small space with light did Peter finally realize how much time had gone by. The janitor only started cleaning up when all the students left. So, he stood up quickly and ran past the older man before he could ask him what he was doing. 

Ned had left his bag in his locker for him which was a relief. He had things in there he’d rather not have anyone steal. With the scene in the closet behind him, Peter walked down the steps of his school hoping Aunt May wouldn’t be too worried about him coming home late. 

 

She wasn’t, which was amazing. Still, Peter couldn’t shake what had happened in class. Sadly, that wasn’t the last panic attack he’d have. Every time he’d go to think about his little things, he could imagine Mr. Stark’s face. He was an Avenger. He needed to act like it. That was easier said than done.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony Stark walked out of the apartment building with his head hung low. He was sure the kid meant no harm with his words, but that didn’t stop the hurt from twisting in his stomach like a knife. Tony knew he wasn’t a role model by any means. Never would he want to see a kid following his footsteps. Still, that didn’t mean he was incapable of taking care of one. 

Peter’s rejection rang out in his mind. 

The kid didn’t need- no...he didn’t want Tony’s help. Was Tony that much of a failure? The older man laid in bed that night pondering over what he could have done. What did he do to make him seem so incapable of being trusted? 

Still, he wouldn’t let his hurt show. It wasn’t Peter’s fault. Tony wouldn’t make it seem that way. 

Part of him was disappointed when he went back to Peter’s the next day and didn’t find that pacifier back under the pillow. Was Peter hiding it from him now? A voice in the back of Tony’s mind told him he was being irrational. He found it so easy last time, of course Peter would want to hide it better in case one of his friends went snooping. But why would they snoop? Surely they had been in the room enough times to not need to go through Peter’s things to try to get to know him; which had been Tony’s reason. 

Tony walked out quickly and threw an excuse about a project needing his immediate attention over his shoulder to May. 

That night, the billionaire found himself at a hole in the wall bar trying to drink the thought of Peter’s disappointed face out of his mind. Spoiler: It didn’t work. Before he knew it, there was a tap on his shoulder that revealed a woman in a short red dress. 

“Hey there, sweetie. You look a bit down in the dumps. Maybe I can help you out?” She asked lowly. 

“No thanks. Not looking for that type of company.” He said without a second thought and possed back another shot. The burn down his throat was almost punishing and he ordered another one. He didn’t expect the woman to take that as an invitation to sit right next to him. The seductive look was gone from her face as she looked at him. “Can I help you?” He asked. 

She didn’t respond at first as her eyes scanned his face. “What’s got you down?” 

This took Tony off guard. He wasn’t used to people actually asking him that question. Especially not at a bar. “Why do you want to know?” His voice showed his suspicion. 

The woman shrugged. “Usually people are here for a reason. Yours obviously isn’t for sex. So what is it? Woman troubles? Man troubles? Lost a client?”

Tony huffed and tossed the next shot back. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

The woman didn’t even seemed to be phased by his sharp tone. “Call it professional curiosity.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need another shrink.”

She seemed to ignore this as she kept talking. “You have no ring, so you aren’t married. You didn’t spare me a second glance which means you’re either in a relationship or just really down. Either way, I find you to be a curious case. So, what is it?”

“Not a relationship.”

“Work then?”

“Nope.”

“...Is it your kid?”

This made Tony pause which was all the woman needed to jump. “Ah so it is! Hmm...are they sick?”

“No! Of course not.” Tony then paused before saying, “And he’s not my kid.”

“Ah step father then? Does he not like you because you ‘aren’t his real daddy’?” 

“...No.”

The woman looked genuinely stumped, but she didn’t seem to be discouraged. Figuring he had nothing better to do than answer a few questions and let her play therapist, he spoke. “I’m his boss technically. And he’s been keeping secrets from me. I offered to be a shoulder to cry on of sorts and he turned me down. Just came here to lick my wounds and go home.”

“It’s more than just simple shame. You’re really torn up about it. He must have said something.”

Tony let out a dry laugh. “You must be a pretty good shrink…”

The woman smiled coyly. “Doctorate in psychology.” 

“Ah...well, Doc. What brings you here?”

“Even professionals need to wind down. But I’ve found something better to occupy my time.”

“Little old me?”

“Definitely. But you still haven’t told me what he said.”

“It’s not exactly what he said...It was how he said it. He doesn’t want me to help him. I know why. I wouldn’t want my help either. Still...it stings.”

“What’s wrong with him? Is he in an abusive relationship? Drugs?”

“No...Nothing like that…” Tony nudges the empty shot glass around in a circle as he ran a hand over his face. “He’s a good kid. Smart.”

“Have you tried talking about it?”

“Not since I found out. Now he’s hiding from me.”

The woman tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder as she groaned. “Emotional constipation. Honestly, if everyone actually talked about their problems with each other, I’d be out of business.”

Tony smiled slightly. “Sorry, Doc. You’re stuck with me.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and slid off her chair. “Talk to your kid. Trust me...This can only get worse.”

She was out the door before Tony could even ask her name.

 

It turns out getting Peter alone to talk to him was easier said than done. Every time he tried something always got in the way. Pepper had papers that needed signing, May needed Peter home, Peter was out with friends, etc. Tony was quickly getting discouraged. 

Even now as he walked the halls hoping to catch the hero as he came in for some tests. He had said something about going to the bathroom and was gone as soon as Tony walked through the door. So, Tony took to walking up and down the halls to try and catch the boy on his way back. 

Suddenly, he heard a noise. It was higher pitched than the workers in the building, but it wasn’t a woman. When he heard it again, he stopped in his tracks outside of a supply closet. His ears strained as they tried to hear what the sound was. 

A cry? A sneeze? What was that? 

His hand was on the door knob when Pepper came from around the corner. “Tony! I’ve been looking for you! I have some files you asked for over the whereabouts of Ca-”

Immediately, Tony let go of the door and made his way over to Pepper. All thoughts of the noise were gone. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.”

Pepper smirked at him as she turned around. “They’re in my office.” 

As Tony followed her down the hall, a shaking Peter Parker finally allowed himself to sob fully from inside the closet. He had almost been caught being weak by Mr. Stark. Just the thought of Mr. Stark’s face staring down at him in disappointment. 

“I truly thought you had potential, kid.” He’d say. Then he’d take the suit. Then Peter would go back to being a nobody from Queens. 

Just the thought was enough to send him back into another panic attack. But deep down he knew it was only a matter of time before Mr. Stark wou catch him. And his worst fear would come true…


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH many apologies for the two month wait! I was in the process of moving and there was difficulties with the internet provider I had. Anyway! Everything is fixed now! I shall be back on my regular schedule from now on! Well, aside from now. I'm posting this chapter now and I will also post another chapter finishing this fic later on today! Hope you're all ready!

The panic attacks continued on. Even the smallest thing would set him off. Kids in school teasing him about the internship, baddies bringing up the stuff they’d heard about the fight with the birdman, and it was all enough to put him into more than one precarious situation. Just the split second of distraction could potentially mean his end. 

It all came to a head one day when he was talking to Ned. Just after patrols, Ned had invited himself up to Peter’s room. He had finally had enough of watching his best friend self destruct. The determination that coursed through him made him confront the other teen before he had even gotten through the window. 

“Wow, Ned, when did you-”

“What’s going on with you, Pete?”

This caught Peter off guard. Ned was never one to cut him off. Even in a serious discussion. “Uh...Nothing?”

Ned scoffed. “And I’m next in line for the throne. Seriously, man. Talk to me.”

Peter took off his mask and tossed it on the desk next to him before plopping down in his desk chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The silence, making excuses, changing subjects whenever anyone brings up your “Extra curricular activities”. Ring a bell?”

There was silence between them for a few breaths. Peter had avoided looking his friend in the eyes as he toed at his carpet. “Mr. Stark found out some stuff. And he might have insinuated that he didn’t approve and that Avengers don’t do that kind of stuff.”

“What stuff are we talking about?” Ned asked with confusion clearly etched onto his face. 

Peter shrugged. “Just stuff. And I’m still a little,” He made a ‘meh’ gesture with his hand, “with the whole building thing.”

This brought a look of sympathy from Ned. He had explained it all to him before, but he never told him about the panic he always felt, even at this moment, building in his chest whenever he so much as thinks about how it was dark. And cold. And his air was so heavy. His muscles shaking. The weight of a building crushing him like a literal bug. They’d never find him. Aunt May would be a wreck. Ned would be forced to live with the truth about how Peter died. He’d never tell. It’d eat him up inside. Scarring him for life. Peter was such a terrible person for putting him in that position. He didn’t deserve Ned as a friend. 

“-eter? Peter! Listen to me! Breath! Come on, man!” Ned’s voice cut through the fog in Peter’s brain bringing him back to the present. He had somehow slipped out of his chair and Ned joined him on the floor. Peter was leaning fully on Ned with his arms wrapped tight around his friend’s neck. 

“Come on, just breath. In...Out...With me.” Peter followed the directions without thinking. His mind was blank now. Expressionless, he held onto Ned and subconsciously matched his breathing. “There you go. Good. I thought I was going to have to get May.”

“Don’ tell her.” Peter whispered. Had Ned’s ear not been less than an inch away, the words would have not been heard. 

Ned rolled his eyes. Peter could somehow tell without even looking. “Of course I won’t. But if I wouldn’t have been able to talk you down, I would have had to.”

The other boy just let out an acknowledging hum. He couldn’t tell Ned not to. Thankfully though, it hadn’t come to that. He allowed himself a few more moments of accepting comfort before he pulled away. The aftermath of the attack plus the soreness of a long patrol left Peter almost numb in his exhaustion. He was content to lay out on his floor to sleep, but Ned, kind, helpful, pure Ned, helped to lift him from the floor to his bed. The suit was uncomfortable against Peter’s skin, but his limb felt too much like led to take it off. 

“Okay, I’m going to get some water, and then we’re going to talk this through.” Ned’s voice left no argument. Peter was minutely aware of his footsteps leading to the door and then returning a few minutes later. 

Ned was such a good friend, Peter mused. Nobody else would put up with Peter’s vagueness and overall avoidance of what happened. 

Well, and the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist who was currently listening in. He hadn’t meant to intrude on such a private moment, but he had been alerted by one of the programs he put in Peter’s suit. This specific one told him that Peter’s vitals had elevated for an unknown reason. He had put it in after the incident with the parachute. It wouldn’t tell him every time Peter was out fighting neighborhood baddies, but it would tell him if the boy ever found himself in trouble again. 

Tony had the suit on and was already out the door before he tuned into the microphone he had also installed in case of emergencies. He listened in while he jetted off to Peter’s location. Halfway there, Tony noticed two things. One, Peter was at home. Two, there was no imminent threat to his charge’s life. Still, he recognized the sound of a panic attack when he heard it. He hadn’t meant to keep listening. Clearly he wasn’t supposed to hear it. But the dominant part of him wanted answers to Peter’s avoidance of him. 

He got those answers soon enough. 

Part of Tony wanted to be offended but the other part of him knew it was also his fault Peter thought what he did. Tony certainly didn’t try as hard as he should have to get to know the boy better. He had wanted to keep Peter from getting too attached, but clearly he failed. He didn’t blame the boy though. His father had been killed when he was young and his other father figure was also murdered. It was no surprise he’d search for that figure in Tony. 

One thing was clear though, Tony had a lot of explaining to do. And a lot of research ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

Honestly, Tony felt bad for lying to the kid, but there was no other way to get him alone. Tony told himself he would come up with some new design to make it up to Peter after this whole situation was resolved. The genius sighed as he realized it was only one of a mountain of other things he needed to make up for. 

He watched Peter make his way through the compound through the security cameras on a StarkPad. It was a short walk, but to Tony it felt like a lifetime. 

Peter followed the instructions to the letter. He was a bit suspicious when the receptionist handed him the slip of paper with a room number and a list of detailed instructions on how to get there. That is, until he saw the note from Mr. Stark at the bottom. 

‘I have a new design for the suit ;)’ - Tony

Mr. Stark was sure dramatic, Peter thought as he made his way through the halls. Occasionally he’d come to a heavy steel door that required his retinal scans to enter. How Mr. Stark got those, he had no idea. Finally, he walked up to the final door. Why they had to meet in a room instead of a lab, he also had no idea. 

The retinal scan made his eye feel weird for a second and he blinked harshly as he opened the door. Mr. Stark was waiting patiently with a StarkPad in his hand when he entered. 

“Great. You’re here. For a minute I thought you’d get lost.”

Peter didn’t respond as he took in the room around him. It was mostly plain, but he was caught off guard by the fact that it was an actual bedroom. The surprise continued as he realized it looked remarkably similar to his own room, but bigger. 

“Like it?”

Peter jumped at the sudden voice but covered it with a nod. “Uh, yeah. It’s nice...But...Why are we here?”

Tony set the StarkPad down on the desk as he crossed his arms. Not in an intimidating way though, actually, Peter was surprised to note it made him look more approachable somehow?

“So...I lied about the suit, BUT I do have something to show you...and something to confess…”

The genius pulled out the desk chair and patted it expectantly. Peter reluctantly sat down. “Mr. Stark?”

“Relax, kid. You aren’t in trouble. We just need to talk.”

“About what though?”

The sigh was long winded and portrayed the exhaustion Peter had accustomed to lately. “I heard you talking to your friend the other night through a microphone I put into the suit in case of emergencies.”

Peter’s eyes widened as that night came to mind. “NO!-”

“Yes, but I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I just-”

“How could yo- When did- ?- Why would you-?” Peter stuttered in confusion as he tried to process the fact that Mr. Star had heard him. Had invaded his privacy to-

“That was the only time! I was just making sure you hadn’t gotten into any trouble! I didn’t expect you to-”

“To be so weak? Well, not everyone can be made of iron, Sir.” Peter spat but looked to immediately regret it. 

Tony wished he didn’t. Tony knew he deserved those words. 

“That’s not what I meant, Peter. I would never think that of you!” 

Whatever complaint Peter thought he would have died on his tongue. “B-but that night...you said…”

“I said that because I wanted you to know that I was prepared to help.” And he said it so genuinely that Peter doubted his own next words. 

“But...you said I couldn’t help if I were a little.” Peter’s confusion mounted. What was going on? All his doubts were coming into question. Tony’s sigh did nothing to help the situation either. 

 

“I didn’t mean that. I meant that I would help with the whole...you know, little thing. The last thing either of us need is for you to regress in the middle of a fight.” Tony patted himself on the back. That came out well enough. He had a hard time trying to think of a way Peter could misunderstand that. 

“So...you aren’t ashamed of me? You won’t take away the suit if I...you know…”

“Regress? No. In fact,” Tony pulled a large case out from under the bed and set it on top. It was black with a small keypad on the top and was about the size of a small tote, “Here.”

“...What is it?”

“Open it and find out.”

Peter didn’t think Tony would ever do anything to intentionally hurt him, but that didn’t stop his hesitance from popping up as he walked over to the chest. 

“6-2-8-1-7.” Tony said when Peter looked at the keypad expectantly. 

No sooner had Peter put in the numbers had the top of the box slid open exposing its contents. 

On one side, there were several packages of pacifiers. They made Peter blush brightly when he picked up one and saw an Iron Man arc reactor painted on the button. His blush only worsened as he looked through all the rest. A hulk fist, Thor’s Mjölnir, Hawkeye’s bow, Captain America’s shield, and even a black widow symbol. Deeper in the box, Peter pulled out a stack of shirts. Well, he thought they were shirts. However, after he set the stack on the bed and picked the first one up, he saw they were onesies. 

This continued as he unloaded the entire box’s contents all over the bed. For its size, it sure held a lot. When Peter put aside the final item, a Spiderman blue sippy cup, he slumped in disbelief. 

“You don’t have to use this stuff of course. I probably went a bit overboard. And I don’t even know your age...Still, I had hoped it’d show you how serious I was about this so that I didn’t put my foot in my mouth…” Was...Was Mr. Stark nervous? For Peter?

Peter was speechless for a long moment, but Tony seemed to understand since he didn’t push him. Finally, when words didn’t seem like such a foreign concept, Peter spoke. “Are you serious?”

“Peter, when have I ever done anything I wasn’t serious about. Which brings us back to the subject at hand...My offer still stands, kid.” Tony smiled slightly, “What do you say?”

Peter couldn’t help but feel like Mr. Stark was only doing it for his sake, but he knew the man better than that. Tony would never do anything he didn’t already want to. Just the thought made warmth bloom in Peter’s chest. Mr. Stark wanted to do this for him...He wanted to help…”Okay…”

Mr. Stark’s smile helped reassure Peter that he had made the right choice. 

Later on, when Tony had Peter tucked into bed with the arc reactor pacifier in his mouth and a sippy cup of water on the bedside table, Tony explained how he had gotten everything so quick. 

“It wasn’t that hard...There are plenty of empty rooms. Having it designed like your oom at Aunt May’s was a last minute decision, but I felt like it would make you feel more comfortable here.” He said. The desk chair was pulled over to the bed and Tony didn’t seem to plan on moving. 

“I like it…” Peter lisped quietly. “‘Ank you…”

“Shh, kid. You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to do this for you.” 

And so Tony continued talking. He told about all the research he did starting with the websites. Soon, the words started to blend together for Peter as he fell asleep more content than ever. 

Of course, that didn’t change Peter’s panic attacks. Those still came. But with Tony’s guidance they started to happen less frequently. He finally had a healthy outlet for his stress. He could walk up to Mr. Stark whenever he felt like he needed to talk. Tony would lead him back to the room he had come to think of as his own and they would talk. Sometimes it would end with Peter regressing, sometimes it wouldn’t. Either way, Peter has never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends! I'll most definitely write more though! As for what I'll write next, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll catch up on requests?
> 
> Request and chat with me on Tumblr if you want: @dinosaur-hiding-in-the-closet


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